Folding box



Dec. 14, 1948. A. JACKSON ET AL 2,456,419

FOLDING BOX Filed Feb. 24, 1948 INVENTORS ALPHONSUS L. JACKSON HERBERT A. BROWN ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 14, 1948 FOLDING BOX Alphonsus L. Jackson and Herbert St. Clair, Mo.

A; Brown,

Application February 24, 1948, Serial No. 10,388

3 Claims.

This invention relates to folding boxes.

It has as its general object the provision of a box which may be folded compactly in its knocked down position, one which requires no clasps, hooks, bent wires, or the like that must be manipulated as fasteners to hold the box .in its folded position, one which is sturdy and strong, can be manufactured economically and one which can be folded and unfolded quickly and easily.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds and a more comprehensive understanding of the invention will be afforded from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a folding box illustrating the invention in its preferred embodiment and showing the same in its folded posi tion, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the box showing the same unfolded and as flattened out.

For the purpose of illustration and description the box is shown as being made from mesh wire which is brazed onto wire frames. It is conceivable, of course, that the box may be made of other material which may of itself be folded to obviate the necessity of hinges. However, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the box comprises a side section II to which is hinged at the opposite ends thereof two end sections I2 and I3. Each of the end sections l2 and i3 are formed so as to provide slots l4, l5, l6 and I! which extend substantially throughout their lengths. When in its folded position, the

slots l4 and i5 are at the top, and the two slots l6 and H are at the bottom of the box. The hinges I8, by means of which the end sections l2 and I3 are connected to the side section I I, are merely bent portions of the wire rods which form a part of the end frames.

To the side section II there is also connected a bottom for the box which comprises a first section l9 and a second section 2|. The first bottom section is is hinged to the side section II by means of two strap hinges 22 and the second bottom section 2! is hinged to the first section 19 by means of two strap hinges 23'.

A second side section 24 is hinged to the second bottom section 2| by means of two strap hinges 25 and to the second side section 24 is attached a top for the box comprising a first section 7:6 and a second section 21. The section 26 is hinged to the section 24 by means of two wire hinges 28 which provide for lateral movement of the top sections 25 and 21 with respect to the second side section 24.

In a similar manner to the bottom section, thetwo top sections 26 and 21 are hinged together by means of two strap hinges 29 and the second top section is provided with an opening 3i which is covered by a lid or top 32 hinged to the first side section II by means of two hinges 33. A

. latch 34 is fixed to the frame of the top section 21 and passes into an opening 35 in the lid 32 to fasten the latter element in its closed position. The fastener 34 also serves an additional purpose which will be described later. i V

In bringing the box to its folded position as is shown in Fig. 1, the side section II is moved upwardly about the hinges 22, the end sections end section l2 and'two projections 3'! on the end section 13 are aligned to pass respectively into a slot 38 and a slot 39 formed in the ends of the side section 24 when this latter section is moved upwardly about the hinges 25.

At this particular stage of the folding operation, the box will take the form where it has two sides, two ends and a bottom. Next the top sections 26 and 21 are swung over the box by moving the same about the hinges 28. The top sections 26 and 2'! are then moved laterally with respect to the side section 24 until the ends 4| and 42 of the top sections 26 and 21 can be moved into the slot l5 of the end section l3. The degree of lateral movement is such that these ends of the sections 26 and 21 can be moved far enough into the slot IE to permit the sections to drop down in the box to a point where the ends 43- and 44 thereof may be passed by reverse lateral movement into the slot [4 of the end section H2. The

top or lid 32 is then moved about its hinges 33 to cover the opening 3|, the fastener 34 passing upwardly through an opening 35 in the top, as is shown in Fig. 1. Although the dimensions of the slots l4 and 15 are so chosen as to fit tightly over the ends of the sections 26 and 21 so as to hold them rigidly therein, the fastener 34 when passed into the slot 35 in the top 32 which latter element is hinged to the side section II, prevents unwarranted lateral movement of the two top sections 25 and 21 to prevent these sections from becoming displaced out of the slots 54 and I5.

The box may be made to any desired dimensions and will serve a number of different purposes such as a live bait box or a chicken coop. It possesses the desirable feature of being adaptable for folding, in its knocked down position, into a compact unit. This may be accomplished by folding the same in a mannerwhich will now be described with the aid of Fig. 2. Thus; the top 32 may be folded from the position which it occupies in the figure until it overlies the side section H, Thereafter, the end section ('2 is folded over the top 32 and the end section I3 is folded over the end section i2. The bottom section is next folded under the side section H and the remaining sections of the box are similarly underfolded until the section 2| underlies the section- I9, the section 24 underlies section 2 I, the section 26 underlies the section 24 and the section 21 underlies the section 26.

As previously mentioned, the'box may be constructed of other materials than those described. For example, 'the'sameamay be made from card board which may be folded along creased'lines at the various points where hinges are usedin the illustrated embodiment. In such case the top may be sprung 'orbowed to insert the ends thereof in the top slots of the end sections. Moreover, it is to b'eunderstoo'd that the bottom and thetop need not necessarily be 'made'in two sections. This expedient has been resorted to in order to provide'for compactness when the box is folded in its knocked down position. Other modifications and changes may likewise be-made, and, insofar as these changes fall within the scope of the appended claims, they are considered to be covered as if described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a folding box, afirst side for said box, two ends for said boxone eachofwvhich is hinged to saidfirst si'deat the ends thereof, first and second slots extending substantially throughout the length of each of said ends at the topsand bot- 4 toms thereof, a bottom for said box comprising two sections, the first of which is hinged to the said first side and the second of which is hinged to the first, a second side for said box hinged to the second section of said bottom, a slot formed at each end of said second side each extending substantially from its top to bottom, a top for said box comprising two sections, the first of which is hinged to said second side and the second of which'ishinged to the first-a projection on each of said'box'ends adapted to 'pass'into one of the slots in the ends of said second side, means for 'slidably hinging the first of said box top sections to said second box side whereby both box top sections may be movedlaterally with respect to said ,second side, and a cover hinged to the top of said first side for closing an opening in the second section'oflsaid box top.

2. In a folding box, a first side section for said box,'two end sections for. said box having slots at the top and bottom thereof extending substantially throughout their length, a bottom section for said box connected to the. said first side section, said first side sectionbeing movable with respect'tosaid'bottom sectionand said end sections being movable with respect to said first side section to carry the ends of said bottom section into the bottom slots" of sai'dend sections, a second side section havingrslots' at the ends-thereof No references cited. 

